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**Mini rant to begin: If you haven't played this course before and/or if you are not an honest single digit handicap --- please do not go directly back to the blue tees because this course may look short based on the yardage on the scorecard, especially when it is cart-path only and you can't consistently hit your tee shots straight. This will lead to a lot of walking and searching in the hills for your ball, thus slowing everyone else down and not making for an enjoyable experience. **

To begin, I will say that I have played this course many times when it was named Summitpointe but this was my first round since the name change and new ownership to Bay View Golf Club. As others have said, nothing has changed in terms of course or hole layout. All the holes play exactly the same as before.

I had a Thursday 11:00 tee time and arrived at the course at around 10:20. Plenty of parking available at that time. Checked in at the pro shop window and since my tee time was pre-paid, the employee directed me to the cart barn to check in with the starter and get my cart. You are able to drive the carts into the parking to load and unload your clubs. Got all loaded up and stretched out a bit before heading to the first tee.

I was able to tee off about 15 minutes early as a single because no one else was there. It was cart-path only because it rained the night before along with the morning of my tee time. I had no one in front of me for the first nine holes and was able to finish the front nine in one hour and thirty minutes. A group let me play through on #10 while they were waiting for their food to be prepared from the cafe. On the back nine I ran into a bit of a slow down on hole #12. There were three foursomes in front of me that were bunched together and waiting on each other. After a few holes of waiting, I saw the marshal driving the opposite way towards the group in front that may have been holding everyone up. After talking to what may have been the slow group, the marshal continue backwards along with course to let each group know that he hold the group out front to speed it up. After that, things did start moving a little quicker but I was already on hole #14 so not much could have changed before the end of the round. In total, I finished the back nine in two hours, giving me three hours and thirty minute pace to complete the 18 holes.

As for course conditions, like I mentioned before, it rained the night before and day of my round. So yes, it was wet and yes there was muddy parts on the course. I don't think any course in the area other than a high price country club could have avoided that. With those conditions, I did not get much roll on tee shots and there was mud on the ball after almost every full swing. Playing winter rules with lift, clean and place quickly solved this issue, If you are serious about score and want to post a number for your index, playing this course after it has rained may not be a good idea. Most greens were in fair/average shape with most of them having been needle punched in portions or all of the surface. With that, putts were bumpy and did not roll true during this healing process. Downhill putts were still quick because many greens are perched on mountain sides.

As for the day as a whole, I do wish it didn't rain the morning of this round and I wish the sun came out more to warm things up a bit but I can't complain that much about being able to play a round of golf in shorts during this time of year. A couple notable positives include seeing the marshal multiple times during my round and his dog. While I did not need him during the front nine, he was there on the back nine to address a slow play problem. As others have mentioned, the carts are new and very nice with GPS and built in music (either FM radio or bluetooth with your phone) along with a USB charging port. I will say having music to listen to while waiting on tee boxes was nice and seemed to lessen the angst of being slowed down. Seats are plush and comfortable and the cart has many pockets and drink holders. The GPS would remind you on the tee box of each hole that it was cart-path only, so no excuses for driving into the fairway and not knowing. The only error I noticed on the GPS was hole #7, there used to be a lake in the middle of the fairway. That lake has been taken out but the GPS still shows it as being there, so if you don't know it is gone, you will probably hit a layup drive when it is not needed.

I was able to shoot 78 from the white tees while not losing a single ball all day. My FitBit recorded about 6,000 steps for the round while being cart-path only. Be warned that if you decide to play from the blue tees and/or can't hit your tee shots in the fairway, you will likely be taking a lot more steps than I did plus hoofing it up and down the hill sides more. I am anxious to see what this course becomes during the spring and summer months when everything has dried up and the greens have healed.

I applaud this course first of all for putting more gaps between tee times to help with spacing during the pandemic (12 minute tee time gaps). Sadly this preparation by the course quickly disappears with spacing and pace of play becoming just like any other muni course during busy times.

We tee'd off exactly at our 11:36am time with the group in front of us just reaching the green of the par 4. There was a slight wait on each tee box for the rest of the front 9. We finished those nine holes in two hours and eight minutes. The back 9 was a hole different story when it comes to pace of play. It started to lightly rain on the 10th tee and all gaps closed up in between groups. The entire back 9 had three groups on most tee boxes (my foursome along with the foursome in front and behind us). The back 9 took us two hours and twenty-six minutes to complete.

As for course conditions, they were quite hit and miss. Some fairways and tee boxes were in great shape with green grass. Some tee boxes were covered in sand with no green grass available to stand or hit from. Some fairways, rough and parts around the green had patches of mud while others are dried up grass. Keep in mind before today, the area hasn't had any rain for quite a while so patches of mud should not exist unless the course is watering too much. In that case, then why is there dried grass along with the mud?

Greens were brutal if you were above the hole on some pin placements. You couldn't stop the ball unless the hole got in the way. Front pin placements were difficult because the fringes were soft and you could not roll a ball up or get any kick forwards from an approach shot. Back pin locations were difficult because if you went over the green, your chip shot had a good chance of rolling off the front of the green.

I really like this course during the spring and summer months but it appears the cold weather and too much water from the course takes it toll around this time of year.

Tee'd off right around our starting time of 12:16pm and finished in four hours thirty-five minutes with multiple five-somes in front of our group. The first backup happened at hole four but things picked up again until hole number ten. From there, we waited a little bit on each tee the entire back nine but nothing horrible for a Friday afternoon.

Course was in average to good shape for this time of year. Greens were mostly smooth but you could see footprints. Average muni speed for flat and uphill putts but sneaky fast on some downhill puts. Tee boxes in great shape and most fairways in great shape. If you go wayward into the rough or treeline, expect some rough lies.

Not much has been done at this course pre-COVID compared to now. Tee times are still eight minutes apart, ball washers and drinking fountains are covered up. On course bathrooms are still open. We had the drink cart come around a few times during our round. Other golfers were respectful of everyone's personal space and masks really weren't needed except for check-in as it was easy to keep ten or more feet apart in distance.

Be advised, this course is going to be closing down sometime in October of 2019 so book your round while you can.

For a course that knows its life is coming to an end, the conditions are still pretty good (on par or a little above what you would expect from a typical muni course in the area). Most parts of the fairways have nice green grass. Most tee boxes are in good condition but some have bare spots or are slightly crowned. Most greens are in good condition but a few have some recovering areas and they are slower than I remember in years past.

Played Saturday afternoon with a tee time of 12:37 and the course was mostly empty. A few singles or twosomes here and there. Not sure if people stayed away because of the football game at the stadium nearby that was later in the evening or this is normal for a Saturday at the course. Finished the round as a twosome in three hours thirty minutes.

**To save you some time driving around, if you play on a day when there is a stadium event, you must enter from the First St/Tasman Dr. route as the Great America Pkwy/Tasman Dr. route is blocked off. Also, follow the signs for the pass holders and just tell the people you are going to the golf course**

Course was in good shape but the greens were like hard board. No matter what club or ball it did not stop till it ran off the back. To make matters worst the pins where placed on knolls and side hills which made putting difficult.

Course was in good shape for this time of year. Had a frost delay but everyone got out with no problems.